


A Friend I Forgot to Send Home, Waits Up For Me All Night

by paperbluehyacinth (infiniteleecity)



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, End of the World, Gen, Post-Apocalyptic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28666242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniteleecity/pseuds/paperbluehyacinth
Summary: "It's the year 2120. My name is Xiao De Jun. The Earth is destroyed, and I am alone. The air is polluted but the sky is clear. Radiation outside is too dangerous to breathe and here I am, in a freaking spaceship. Food is scarce, water is even scarcer but I'm living -- at least I'm trying. Wherever you are, and if you ever find this, I hope that you know I tried my best to find you."
Relationships: Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun & Everyone
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32
Collections: Challenge #4 — Awaken The World, My Little Wonder Fics





	A Friend I Forgot to Send Home, Waits Up For Me All Night

**Author's Note:**

> When Awaken the World won, I literally planned not to join. I didn't think I could write anything at all for this theme and then I read like a 2 paragraph sci-fi thing on the internet and my brain just took matters into its own hands. I was able to write this in like a span of 12 hours (with breaks in between). I'm still not sure if this qualifies as sci-fi but I guess, I'll see. 
> 
> I hope you like it :)

**Edinburgh, Scotland.  
** **Day 192. Year 2120  
** **Population: 1  
** **Radiation Level: 6542 mSv**   
  


Xiao De Jun sighed as he opened his fridge. There was a tray of apples that still hadn't been touched, two bottles of water and nothing else. He looked outside, at the fog that covered the sky and wondered if it would be okay to walk outside for today to get supplies, but he thought against it. According to his radiation meter, it was still too dangerous to go out.

_ Maybe he should make a better hazmat suit to occupy his time. _ He thought. 

With an exasperated sigh, he removed an apple from the fridge and walked towards his makeshift kitchen. He could still last a day or two with the amount of food he had in his fridge. After that, he needed to restock. His ship was currently parked in what was once Edinburgh, Scotland. Now, it was just a mass of land that he couldn't recognize. Buildings continued collapsing around him, and the fine dust in the air was too palpable that Xiaojun wondered if it was even breathable.

He really should move to a place where the radiation is less  — if a place like that even existed. His eyes landed on the sky and wondered if he should just build himself a ship that can survive outer space  — maybe he'll have more chance of surviving outside the Earth than in it. 

On the other hand, he wondered why he still kept insisting on staying alive. It’s not like someone was still alive out there.

The Earth was dead. There really was no reason to keep hoping.

Still, Xiaojun found himself waking up every day, waiting for hope. Something always seemed to happen when he least expected it.

* * *

On the eve of the third world war  — the beginning of the end, as Xiaojun liked to call it  — he started building a ship where he could find refuge in. Having taken Engineering in college, it helped somewhat in knowing which materials he could use to keep himself safe. He finished the ship just before the fourth world war  — the Atomic War.

He spent the next few days finding a way to find  **_him_ ** and all their other friends, but they had all been separated and Xiaojun didn't know where to start looking. So he stayed in his ship, programming a lot of his devices to detect signs of life. Xiaojun was hopeful the first few days. He kept himself hidden in the heart of some forest, just relying on the machines he had in his ship to tell him what's going on with the world.

When his radiation meters started detecting deadly radiation levels, he moved to somewhere safer where he could equip radiation proof materials. He floated on top of the Atlantic Ocean (radiation wasn't so strong on the water) and proceeded to coat his ship with antimony and tin  — he read somewhere that those materials can be used as a shield for radiation. For his hazmat suit, he kept all of his lead materials since it was safer to wear that the two prior heavy metals. 

Food was hard to acquire the first few months after radiation broke out. He settled for fish and water, but once the radiation reached the oceans, he needed to find something else to eat.

Fruits and vegetables were the next best thing, but they often went bad after a few hours. It took him a few more months  — living only with water  — before he eventually realized that apples hadn't been affected by the radiation at all. It was dangerous  — not knowing why apples had been except, and it would probably kill him faster  — but it had been his only options. 

The apples kept him alive for two years. This made him think that maybe, somewhere out there  — like apples  — someone was alive. 

That was his first hope.

* * *

**Nice, France.  
** **Day 221. Year 2120  
** **Population: 1  
** **Radiation Level: 5392 mSv** **  
  
**

"Happy Birthday, Xiaojun," he told himself as he lit a pre-made wax candle (There were a lot of things you can do when you’re the only one alive to do it).

Xiaojun had sliced himself two apples; he wasn't about to starve himself on his birthday. 

As he bit on an apple, he saw something fly through the sky  — a shooting star. 

And then another, then another, 

Soon enough, the sky was littered with shooting stars. 

Despite knowing that it might not be fulfilled, Xiaojun closed his eyes and said a wish under his breath. 

Xiaojun had fallen asleep that night dreaming of a sky filled with stars with all his friends and family surrounding him. 

* * *

**São Paulo, Brazil.  
** **Day 236. Year 2120  
** **Population: 1  
** **Radiation Level: 2338 mSv**

"Zhupi, what's the population today?" Xiaojun called out to his self-built virtual assistant  — his only friend. 

"Earth's population  — one," Zhupi answered. "No living being detected in the area," he added. Xiaojun sighed. "Would it be safe to gather supplies here?" Xiaojun asked.

Zhupi didn't answer for a while. 

He was a work-in-progress, but Xiaojun didn't mind him taking long to answer. If there was anything Xiaojun learned from all these, it was patience. 

"Apples are scarce in the area. There is an abundant supply in Bali, Indonesia," Zhupi answered.

Xiaojun looked over to his map. He can circle the world in less than a day. His ship was faster than the airplanes the Earth once had; there wasn't many stops travelling on his ship. To get to Indonesia from Brazil would probably take him 12 hours.

He looked at his fuel gauge and noticed it was dangerously low. With a 12-hour flight, he wouldn’t make it to Bali, and it’ll be too dangerous to land on water. 

He shook his head; he needed fuel. 

"I suggest you refill your fuel," Zhupi answered. Xiaojun smirked hearing what he already knew. He had never gotten around to making his virtual assistant say his name. He always wanted to do it but whenever he was close to completing it, he'll just stop.

It wouldn't be nice to think that there was another person with him when there wasn't. That wasn't the type of false hope he wanted for himself.

"Prepare my hazmat suit then. Let's get some fuel."

* * *

The only good thing with a radiation-filled world was that everything had energy in it  — land, water, and air. 

Xiaojun always used water and land. There was too much uncertainty in the air, especially since he didn't see where it went. He decided with water since he needed to refill his water reservoir too. 

Xiaojun decided to park just a few meters away from the ocean. He had learned from a bad experience that parking on top of the water just caused his ship to corrode; he didn't have time or place to fix his ship right now.

With his hazmat suit on, and a hollow tank strapped behind him, he set out. He brought his hand-phone with him so that he'd have Zhupi to talk to and to warn him when things are getting too dangerous.

Before the war, Xiaojun had enjoyed swimming. There was some sense of freedom of letting go of yourself and just allowing yourself to be one with the water. Nowadays, going into the water was the most scared he got. 

Radiation in the water was worse than on land. Metals had a way of joining into the water. 

To keep himself safe, and be able to clean himself, Xiaojun had created a machine that would go on for days just filtering the water in multiple cycles to make sure the radiation would be safe for him. He wanted to live despite a lot of things  — despite having no one else to live with.

"Radiation level: 2300 mSv" Zhupi started saying. Xiaojun took a deep breath.  _ That was safe, relatively. _

He needed at least five tanks to last him for a month. Three tanks was preferable in a place with this much radiation, but he needed five. 

If there was anything Xiaojun was, it was that he was stubborn. Zhupi kept talking about the possible increase of radiation but those were just numbers for Xiaojun. He told him the numbers, and facts, and warned him of possible threat, but he would never tell him off of the dangers, and the consequences of his actions. Zhupi would never cause him to feel guilty  — somehow that made Xiaojun feel guiltier. But he made up his mind  — he'd refill five tanks, which meant that he'd be going to the water five times.

_ God, he hoped this wasn't the day he'd die. _

The first two tanks were filled without complications but once he got to the third tank refill, Zhupi started acting up.

"Body radiation too high. Retreat," he kept repeating. Xiaojun ignored it. He finished his third refill and then continued to the fourth with Zhupi continuing to tell him to retreat. He had almost finished when he felt something constrict in his chest.

"Radiation level: 4230", Zhupi's screen showed. Xiaojun cursed. That was twice the radiation a few minutes ago. He knew he needed to go back to the ship and cleanse himself or else he'd actually die here.

He carried the tank in his hands and grovelled towards his ship. His feet felt heavy and his eyes started blurring. The only thing running in his mind as his ship came into view was that he needed to live.

_ He still needed to find him.  _

* * *

**Unknown.  
** **Day 250. Year 2120  
** **Population:** **_searching  
_ ** **Radiation Level: 1293 mSv** **  
  
**

Xiaojun's head kept hurting. Ever since his almost death at Brazil, there was a constant throbbing in his head. He was able to restock his fridge with food but only barely and now, he'd only eat once a day. He took a water bottle from the fridge and walked towards the helm of the ship.

"Zhupi, I--" Xiaojun started. It had been 14 days since that day, and he was afraid to ask how many more days he had left. "Never mind," he whispered.

"Zhupi did not catch that. May you repeat the question?" Xiaojun snickered. He felt something heavy behind his eyes and he bit his lip to keep himself from crying. He couldn't even remember the last time he cried. There wasn't much reason to cry when you're the only one left in the Earth and death is the only thing you're waiting for.

Once he gathered his composure, and made sure he wasn't going to cry, he asked, "Am I dying?"

He heard a beep  — a series of beeps. It felt like talking to a human, someone who didn't know what to say and was racking their brain for the right thing to say. Xiaojun knew Zhupi wouldn't be able to answer the question though.

"Life and death is not something Zhupi can predict," Zhupi started. "But your vitals are stable."

Xiaojun laughed and tipped the water bottle, deciding that he didn't want to ration today. He was going to eat and drink until he was filled. "Thanks for being honest, buddy."

"You're welcome," Zhupi answered.

His AI might not know it, but Xiaojun was very grateful to have him.

* * *

**Baguio City, Philippines.  
** **Day 302. Year 2120  
** **Population: 1  
** **Radiation Level: 746 mSv** **  
  
**

"The radiation here isn't high, Zhupi," Xiaojun said when he walked out of the door with his radiation meter ticking just below 1000 mSv. He unzipped his hazmat suit and took a breath of fresh air.

He had almost forgotten the feel of air. It felt like, for the first time in two years, he was able to breath. Compared to other places in the world he'd been in, the trees here looked alive. He was glad that there was some place in the world that he could still call beautiful.

Xiaojun zipped his hood back up, so he wouldn't have to breathe too much air. He decided to stay here for a while  — watched as the grass underneath his feet give way to his every step. He watched as the sun started setting in the horizon, walked around collecting apples, and taking water from tree trunks.

As he looked around, he realized that Earth still had a chance  — a future. And whether he would be able to see that future, he was still glad he was able to see this  — the beginning of a New World.

This was his second hope.

* * *

**Jeju-do, South Korea.  
** **Day 354. Year 2120  
** **Population: 1  
** **Radiation Level: 1429 mSv** **  
  
**

"Look at that Zhupi, it's snowing," Xiaojun said looking outside the window. Xiaojun had always loved the winter  — despite how cold it got. His parents were dentists but whenever winter rolled around, they had a reason to eat sugar-free peppermint candies and drink hot chocolates as they watched the snow falling outside the window. 

He lied back on his seat and started imagining his apple bites as peppermint candies, and his water bottle as hot chocolate. 

Xiaojun remembered **_his_** voice, **_his_** laugh, and the reasons why **_he_** loved the snow. Xiaojun wondered if it was snowing wherever **_he_** was and if **_he_** was thinking of Xiaojun too. 

* * *

**Osaka, Japan.  
** **Day 360. Year 2120  
** **Population:** **_searching  
_ ** **Radiation Level: 842 mSv** **  
  
**

"It would've been Christmas today, Zhupi," Xiaojun said sipping on his hot chocolate. It didn't taste as good as what he had before, but it was good enough. He had once found a cacao tree in his trip to Africa the year before and the beans he had harvested then had only been deemed free for consumption by his radiation machine a few days ago. He decided that this Christmas he would finally have hot chocolate. 

"Do you have a Christmas wish this year?" Zhupi asked. He always asked this every year but Xiaojun would always say that he didn't have any. This year, he smiled and said, 

"I wish for hope and certainty," he said, enjoying the view of the outside and his cup of hot chocolate. 

* * *

**Macau, China.  
** **Day 1. Year 2122  
** **Population:** **_searching  
_ ** **Radiation Level: 402 mSv** ****  
  


Xiaojun told himself that the only time he'd come back to Macau was when he knows he'd be dying. He wanted to die where he lived, and it felt like it was the right time to give up hope. 

He woke up at the stroke of midnight as if his body knew what day it was today that it had to wake Xiaojun up to welcome the New Year. 

If his calculations were right, it would be the New Year. 

He pulled up a video he would play every year since the war; he and his friends and family welcomed the New Year with the fireworks blasting above their heads. Xiaojun watched as they smiled towards the camera shouting a Happy New Year, expecting the year to be good to everyone. 

He remembered when this video was taken  — the year before the third world war. 

"Happy New Year, Zhupi," Xiaojun said. 

"Happy New Year, Xiaojun," the AI answered. Xiaojun looked at the screen where he set up Zhupi and found himself smiling really wide. He hadn't had the chance to program his friend to recognize him yet but here he was saying his name. It felt like having a child be able to tell "Dad" for the first time, and Xiaojun felt exactly that. 

"I guess I really am dying already," Xiaojun joked. The video continued playing on his screen, and Xiaojun noticed that the night sky was bluer today. The stars cast a glow on the streets of Macau and Xiaojun felt like everything was back to normal. 

It was nice to pretend even just for the day. 

"Zhupi," he started. "What's the population today?" 

A series of beeps. 

"Earth's population  — two." 

Xiaojun had been busy munching on a piece of apple when Zhupi answered. It took him a while to understand what he said. He asked Zhupi every day for the last two years for population checks, and had already ingrained in his mind the voice of his machine saying "one" -- that he was the only one alive in the area. 

"What did you say?" Xiaojun repeated. He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him; he really didn't hear that right. 

"Earth's population  — two. Living creature detected 100 meters away," 

"What?" Xiaojun felt his heart beat double and his breath hitch. There was someone alive out there. He wasn't the only one. 

Just then, there was a sound of someone knocking at the entrance of his ship and then a voice -- a voice he only ever heard in videos. A voice he never thought he'd hear again. 

" _ Xiaojun, is this you?"  _

Only one person was there with him when he built this ship -- one of the people who he wanted to bring with him. There was only one person he would recognize this ship. 

_ "You know how I always wanted to be an astronaut?" He said.  _

_ "Yeah?" Xiaojun answered cuddling towards him. "Well, you're an engineer now. You can build be a rocket ship and let's travel to space together." Xiaojun found himself laughing. He took a paper from his desk and started drawing something away from Xiaojun. It was a ship with the most horrendous design, but Xiaojun kept the paper wanting to keep his promise -- even if he'd only be able to create a model of it.  _

For the first time in two years, Xiaojun found himself crying. The memory of the first night they talked about that rocket ship fleeting in his mind. He had almost forgotten that night. The paper where he drew that ship still tacked on the door of the fridge. 

_ Finally _ . Xiaojun thought. _ He finally found him.  _

This.... this was his hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are much appreciated! (Only if you want to. No pressure) 
> 
> Thank you to A Little Wonder for this fest. You guys are the best. I hope the mods are taking care of themselves and I hope that you guys get only love.


End file.
